The Congress is not in a hurry to declare its prime ministerial candidate despite the BJP projecting Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for the top post.
The Congress does not want to limit its options after realising that regional players would emerge as “king-makers” in the post-poll situation since no single party will be in a position to get 272 seats in the Lok Sabha on its own.
The BJP, which is heavily banking on its strongman Narendra Modi to come back to power, has not been able to add even a single regional party in the NDA after his elevation. In fact, it had lost the trusted ally Janata Dal (United).
Also Mr Modi’s projection would compel even the anti-Congress parties to check him in the Lok Sabha polls.
The Congress party on Monday indicated it was not in a hurry to declare its PM candidate at a time when the BJP is keen on converting the upcoming general election into a presidential election by focusing more on a personality.
But the Congress persisted with its attack on Mr Narendra Modi, saying he was “not a national leader” like the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
Becoming Prime Minister is “not a big thing” for a leader like Rahul Gandhi, who is more interested in taking up the cause of the weaker sections.
“The country needs a national leader and not a mere Prime Minister,” party spokesman Bhakt Charan Das said, while suggesting that the Congress has an “open mind” on the issue and would take a call as per “national need”.
“Those who fight for the oppressed and the poor, the dalits and adivasis know that their only hope is Rahul Gandhi and there is no leader like him. The country needs a national leader and not a mere Prime Minister,” Mr Das said.